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QCoDeS Example with QDac_channels

from qcodes.instrument_drivers.QDev import QDevQDac

# Connect to the instrument
qdac = QDevQDac('qdac', 'ASRL6::INSTR', update_currents=False)

Basic QDac Usage

The QCoDeS QDac driver currently supports using * 48 Output Channels * 3 \(\times\) 6 temperature sensors

Each output channel has six parameters: * DC voltage * DC voltage range * Current out (read-only) * Current out range * slope * sync

The slope is the (maximal) slope in V/s that the channel can allow its voltage to change by. By default, all channels have a slope of “Inf”. The slope can be changed dynamically, but no more than 8 channels can have a finite slope at any given time (this is due to hardware limitations).

# Current out is the current flowing through the channel this is read-only
print(qdac.ch01.i.get(), qdac.ch01.i.unit)

# The current range can be either 0 to 1 μA or 0 to 100 μA
print(qdac.ch01.irange.get())
# This is set with either 0 (0 to 1 μA) or 1 (0 to 100 μA)
qdac.ch01.irange.set(1)

# The DC voltage may directly be set and gotten
qdac.ch01.v.set(-1)
print(f'Channel 1 voltage: {qdac.ch01.v.get()} {qdac.ch01.v.unit}')

# Multiple channels can be addressed simultaneously via the 'channels' list
qdac.channels[0:20].v.get()

# Similarly, we may set them
qdac.channels[0:2].v.set(-1)

# The maximal voltage change (in V/s) may be set for each channel
qdac.ch01.slope.set(1)
qdac.ch02.slope.set(2)
# An overview may be printed (all other channels have 'Inf' slope)
qdac.printslopes()

# now setting channel 1 and 2 voltages will cause slow ramps to happen
qdac.ch01.v.set(0)
qdac.ch02.v.set(0)

# Note that only 8 (or fewer) channels can have finite slopes at one time
# To make space for other channels, set the slope to inifite
qdac.ch01.slope('Inf')
qdac.printslopes()

# To each channel one may assign a sync channel:
qdac.ch02.sync(2)  # sync output 2 will fire a 10 ms 5 V pulse when ch02 ramps
# note that even if no visible ramp is performed (i.e. ramping from 1 V to 1 V), a pulse is still fired.

# The sync pulse settings can be modified
qdac.ch02.sync_delay(0)  # The sync pulse delay (s)
qdac.ch02.sync_duration(25e-3)  # The sync pulse duration (s). Default is 10 ms.

qdac.ch02.v.set(0)

# syncs are unassigned by assigning sync 0
qdac.ch02.sync(0)

Attention!

The v_range parameter is really controlling a 20 dB (amplitude factor 10) attenuator. Upon changing the vrange, the attenuator is immediately applied (or revoked). This will –irrespective of any slope set– cause an instantaneous voltage change unless the channel voltage is zero. By default, all attenuators are off, and the voltage range is from -10 V to 10 V for all channels.

# Here is a small example showing what to look out for
#
qdac.ch01.vrange.set(0)  # Attenuation OFF (the default)
qdac.ch01.v.set(1.5)
qdac.ch01.vrange.set(1)  # Attenuation ON
print(qdac.ch01.v.get())  # Returns 0.15 V
qdac.ch01.v.set(0.1)
qdac.ch01.vrange.set(0)  # Attenuation OFF
print(qdac.ch01.v.get())  # returns 1 V

Overview of channel settings

The driver provides a method for pretty-printing the state of all channels. On startup, all channels are queried for voltage and current across them, but the current query is very slow (blame the hardware).

The pretty-print method may or may not update the values for the currents, depending on the value of the update_currents flag. Each current reading takes some 200 ms, so updating all current values takes about 10 s.

qdac.print_overview(update_currents=True)

Temperature sensors

Physically, the QDac consists of six boards each hosting eight channels. On three locations on each board, a temperature sensors is placed. These provide read-only parameters, named tempX_Y where X is the board number and Y the sensor number.

print(qdac.temp0_0.get(), qdac.temp0_0.unit)
print(qdac.temp2_1.get(), qdac.temp0_0.unit)
print(qdac.temp5_2.get(), qdac.temp0_0.unit)

qdac.close()